Automobile lock



S. H. DORSEY.

AUTOMOBILE. LOCK.

APPLlcATxoN FILED Amb 1919.

1,417,661.. Y Patented May 30,1922.

31H5-; I f 3:15.11- i a a s L i, a i (9 'i 2 21 ,l `1 1 rz f L z Q'o f5' V r6 SHERMAN H. non-snr, or sr. LOUIS, MISSOURI, essienoit fro',.TRAFFICvk n CORPORATION, or sfr; LOUIS, MISSOURI, A fcoitronnrrionjor Naw YORK. 1

AUTOMOBILE Loon.

IITQI.

Application filed April 7,

To all 'whom t may concer-a:

Be it known that I, SHERMAN II. Doneer, (s

a citizen of the United States of America, a resident of the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have Invented certain new and seful Improvements in Automobile Locks,-

of whichtlie following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, `forming a part of this specification.

Vthings for locking the traction wheelsof an automobile to prevent the vehicle from being towed'when the lock is in service, and is such as to prevent either forward or baclrward movement of the vehicle, due to the drive shaft being held from rotation in either direction when the lock is in service. Therefore, while the lock serves to prevent towing'. of the vehicle, owing to the drive shaft and the traction wheels bein@ held from movement, it also makes it impossible to move the vehicle backwardly, Vas is at times desirable. It not infrequently occurs that there is need for moving a locked automobile from one position toanothe'r, as, for example, on city lstreets in the event of a fire in the vicinity ofthe automobile, many cities having ordinances which prohibit the locking of an automobile in such mannerv that the vehicle may not be moved. The object of my invention is an improvement upon the hereinbefore mentioned patented auto-` mobile lock that will permit the desirable and frequently necessary backward lmovement of the locked vehicle, while at the same time retaining in the lock such operative construction that will prevent towing of the vehicle.

Fig. I is a side elevation of an automo. bile locking device having my improvement incorporated therein, tha locking element being in inoperative position. Fig. II is a view similar to F 1g. I, `partly in section, with the lock shown inoperative position. t d

F ig. III is a plan View, partly in section,

. with the locking device in operative position.

Fig. IV is a vertical section talren approxiimprovement is directly with 4my improvemen 1919.' serial N6. 288,203;A`

Specification of Letters ,Patent u 30,1922.

mately` on line IVIV, rdrive.

haft being 0H1itted-` l the portions ofthe locking device with which associated., and illustrating my improvement.`

Inasmuch as the .lock tonwhich mykim-g -provement is applied` and-thefparts of an which said loclrcooperates. f l

automobile vwith are fully shown and patent hereinbefore suliicient to describe described in the U. S mentioned, it is deemed herein only such parte Morron- TRUOK Fig. V is an elevation, partly in section, of'` Go y of the automobile and the yold-locking device `as are'directly concerned in' my'improvel ment, and to set forth in connection there'- As in the hereinbefore `mentioned patented structure, there is a latch holderlcomprifing'a ring 8 surrounding the drive shaftB,

a tubular bolt-receiving member -9 "carried b v said ring, and wings 10 extending from the memberv 9, said `wings supporting bar- 12. f

, E designates a' latch device pivotally'fcone nected atl tothe latch holder, and Ahavin'o secured tov a bolt-'receiving member 9 of ythe latch holder. 17 designatesa ratchet wheel iiXe'd tothe drive shaft B arm 15 is movable tof permito-f the locking element l carried byl said:y latch arm,`;and presently to be described, being adjusted into and out of engagement vwith said ratchet wheel. the ring 8 and the latch arml'serves to normallyhold the latch device E in an inoperative position', as shown in Fig. I. i

16 designates a locking to the latch arm 15, and 16.* or. back of said dogl by which the dog is yieldably projected from the latch-y arm.`

which the spring 16 is confined, andthe locking `dog is preferably formed lwith a head located within said pocket, serving to hold the dog from displacement from the latch arm. Said pocket is `closed at peior outer end in anysuitable manner, asby the application ofa plug 16a. d The means-for locking thelatch device` E in its operative position are similar to thoseshown in the 'aforementioned U. S. patent,

and relative to 'which the latchl 80l a latch arm lcontiguous to {thef'tubular y A spring 19. interposed. between vdog loosely fitted is a spring abovev i vThe latch arm 15 contains 'a pocket within ittoand comprise a bolt QO'insertible into the erative position. A key 29., separable from the bolt 20, serves to operate a key-controlled lock including amember 2l by which thebolt is held engaged with the member 9' and in engagement with the latch device E. y

IVhen` the locking device containing my improvement is in service, the spring actuatedA locking dog 16 is held in engagement with and in front of a tooth of the ratchet wheel 17, andas the .teeth of said ratchet wheel point in the direction of rotation of the driveshaft when the automobile is moving forwardly,'it is impossible for'said drive shaft to rotate in the direction necessary for forward movement of the automobile. The ratchet wheel may, however, be rotated in the opposite direction for the reason that the locking dog will escape fronitooth to tooth of the ratchet wheel while said wheel is rotating in a retrograde direction, and

consequently the drive shaft B may be rotated in a retrograde direction, as in backing the automobile, sothat the vehicle may be moved backwardly to any desired degree.

I claim:

l. In a locking device for an automobile having a drive vshaft for the transmission of power to its traction wheels, a rotary locking member driven by said drive shaft so as to turn in response to movements of said shaft` and traction wheels, a yieldable dog cooperable with said rotary locking member to prevent rotation of said wheels in vonly one direction, and a lock rwhereby said yieldlocking dog adapted to engage said yratchet wheel'to prevent movement of the automobile in one direction, and a lock whereby said locking dog is retained in yielding engagement with said ratchet wheel, said locking dog heilig movable independently of said lock to permit movement of the vehicle in one direction. l

3. In a locking device for an automobile havingA a drive shaft for the transmission of n power to its traction wheels, a ratchet wheel driven by said drive shaft so as to turn in response to movements ofysaid drive shaft and traction wheels, a latch member movable toward and away from said ratchet wheel, a locking dog in the form of a pawl yieldingly held by said latch member and adapted to engage said ratchetwheel to prevent movement of the automobile in one direction, and a key-controlled lock cooperat ing with said latch member to retain said locking dog in yielding engagement with said ratchet wheel, said locking dogbeing movable independently of said latch member to permit movement of the automobile in one direction.

4:. In a locking device for an automobile having a drive shaft for the transmission of -power to itsA traction wheels, a ratchetwheel fixed to said drive shaft so as to turn with said drive shaft and traction wheels, a latch arm movable toward and away from the teeth of said ratchet wheel,a spring-pressed locking 'dog carried by said latch arm and adapted to yengage said teeth to prevent movement of the automobile in only one direction, and a key-controlled lock cooperating` with said latch arm to retain' said springpressed locking dog in engagement-with the teeth of-said ratchet wheel, saidl locking dog beingv movable independently of said latch l arml to permit movement of theautomobile in one direction. l

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I hereunto affix my signature. i 

